Welcome to Widecombe-in-the-Moor

This is the twenty-second item from Robert Dymond’s book: “Things New and Old Concerning the Parish of Widecombe-in-the-Moor and its Neighbourhood” (1876)

DARTMOOR RAINFALL.

“The West wind always brings wet weather,

The East wind wet and cold together,

The South wind surely brings us rain,

The North wind blows it back again.”

THE subjoined table is compiled from a paper read by Mr. W. Pengelly, F.R.S., F.G.S., at the meeting of the Devonshire Association, in I874, and based on Mr. Symons’ British Rainfall, for 1866-73 inclusive.

Bearing in mind that one inch of rain on an acre of land equals about I00 tons of water, we can form some idea of the immense amount yearly passing down our rivers, and turned to very little use as a source of power.The table also shows that, as a rule, the highest elevations have the greatest rainfall ; this explains the frequent “ freshets,” or sudden floods, which pass down our rivers when the weather in the lower lands has been dry for some days. These freshets on the Dart are by Totnes people called “Father Widecombe’s visits. ”

STATIONS.	RAINFALL IN INCHES*	WET DAYS*	ELEVATION.
Bovey Tracey	44’01	182	94
Widecombe	58’95	131	950
Ilsington	40’80	170	639
Ashburton	51’38	191	570
Holne	69’99	222	650
Lee Moor	64’06	”	860
Sheepstor	59’92	161	”
Prince Town	74’35	235	1400
Rundle Stone	70’93	207	1500
Tavistock	49’36	156	283
Plymouth	39’08	”	150
Torquay	37’69	185	200
Exeter	33’82	147	155
Devonshire. excluding Dartmoor	41’63	173

* MEAN ANNUAL AVERAGES.